On the night of June 28-29, the most interesting PFL 6 tournament took place at the Sanford Pentagon Arena in Sioux Falls (USA). Of particular interest was the fight in which Andrei Koreshkov found himself in a cage. The former Bellator champion returned to the PFL Grand Prix against Goichi Yamauchi.
The Russian won by unanimous decision. And now he spoke to us and told us exactly how the fight unfolded. In addition, Koreshkov commented on the most striking events in the world of mixed martial arts.
This season, PFL broadcasts are available on Okko.
– Andrey, how was the fight? What were your feelings after it? The PFL system did not allow us to make it to the playoffs.– After the fight, the feelings are normal. I am very happy to have won this fight. This was one of the main tasks – to win. Naturally, I tried to do everything possible to win ahead of schedule. There were some good moments, but we could not fully exploit them. The opponent is not weak, not easy, but strong. He has never lost by knockout, experienced, dangerous. What I bet on worked. I have to give credit to my opponent. He realized his strengths – ground fighting, control. However, the damage and power I delivered were enough to get this victory by decision.
– There was a dangerous moment when the opponent took the back. Did you manage it without panic?– My experience allows me not to panic. Panic is scary. You start doing reckless things, your heart rate increases and you get tired faster. This did not happen. I can work in these positions, we work in them and prepare them. And I knew he was taking the back, working well from there. But I could not do anything serious, I was prepared for it. I controlled situations that were not in my favor.
Andrei Koreshkov
Photo: Cooper Neill/Getty Images
– What do you think of the new PFL system, which doesn’t guarantee anything even with victories?– I have mixed feelings. It motivates you to try to finish your opponent. But it all depends on the stylistic work of the fighters themselves. Fighters only have one chance – to get a hold, to make a move. If there are drummers, this is spectacular work. But at the same time mixed feelings. It all depends on who your opponent became, what kind of opposition he had. If it is an easy and passable fighter, then you can knock him out or submit him with less losses. But if you meet a strong opponent every round… The chances of finishing are lower. However, balancing this system is very difficult. The class of the fighters influences it a lot. At the Grand Prix there were opponents who would have been more suitable for me.
– How was the transition from Bellator to PFL, what new things did you notice?– There are some innovations: chips in gloves, measurement of impact speed. But this is more for the spectators, to arouse interest and to obtain additional statistics. But in general everything remains the same, more or less.
Andrei Koreshkov
Photo: Cooper Neill/Getty Images
– After this fight, you had an interesting incident with USADA. Did they test you directly in Russia?– Yes, PFL and Bellator have signed a contract with USADA. This means that commissioners can come to you without notice. I had such checks. Once in the States, the second time in Omsk. They call an hour in advance and make an appointment. Or they can drive to the house. At that time I was taking the child to kindergarten. As a result, we met with the commissioner before training at the Storm school.
– Is the PFL’s cooperation with USADA good?– Clean sport is good. You probably feel protected. Because your opponent will have an advantage because of the drug use. But there is also a downside: inconvenience. You must indicate your location at all times. That’s fine, but there are times when it is necessary to lash out. It also happens that you made changes and they were already noticed when the commissioner arrived. And sometimes they can just ring the bell, tick the box about the failed test and leave. And it turns out that you skipped the test. For the first time it seems that they can forgive you. But it is better not to miss it and to be more vigilant.
Andrei Koreshkov
Photo: Cooper Neill/Getty Images
– A logical question after the fight. What’s next?– I don’t know yet. I really hope to have time to perform once again before the end of the year. I also have a contract with Bellator, I can play in two leagues. The playoffs begin in the PFL. And the number of couples becomes much smaller. Potentially there is a spot on the card. Someone needs to close it. I hope I get this opportunity. The main thing is that the offer is received.
– Russian flags and anthems are returning to major tournaments. How much does this affect the morale of the fighters?“Being a true patriot helps a lot. It is very important for children to have their affiliation visible. I feel proud to be able to represent my country by walking with the flag.
– Is there a chance that a top-level international league will decide to hold a tournament in Russia in the next two or three years?– It is difficult for me to assess this now. There are a number of things that will interfere: sanctions, the attitude of the athletes. Some are simply afraid to go to Russia. They think that something terrible will happen to them here. Not all Brazilians are afraid. But some Americans and Europeans are confident that something will happen to them, that they might be imprisoned or locked up.
The most anticipated fight between two Russians in UFC may fail:
Strikes at a cost in a dream fight. Did Tsarukyan deprive himself of a rematch with Makhachev?
– What do you think of the fight between Pavlovich and Volkov in UFC?– A normal fight. It was exactly as I thought it would be. I expected Volkov to win, and that’s how it went. It’s true that I thought the fight would end earlier than expected. That Pavlovich would do his best and Alexander would take advantage of it. But the fight went down to the wire. And Volkov was able to better realize his strengths.
– Did you expect what happened after the fight? Was it nerves? Or an attempt to immediately disperse the revenge?– I don’t know. I’m not aware of the situation that happened between them. Perhaps Sergei has personal resentments. But I don’t know about their relationship. From the interview with Pavlovich it is clear that he has something personal, that he is not satisfied with something. This is their business, they are adults, they will solve it themselves.
Drago defeated his compatriot not only in the cage, but also in the media:
Complaints of children against adults. Did Volkov mentally break Pavlovich?
– Alexander was combed between rounds. Have you seen this before?– I know him normally, we lived in the USA at one time, we participated in the Bellator Grand Prix, we lived nearby. I remember that he and his family were very attentive to their appearance. And if it seems non-standard, they worry. It happened that after a month or two I needed to get a haircut. For me it was easier, I always cut my hair. And at one point Sasha asked me to cut his hair, to shorten it. Well, I did it. He looked in the mirror, took the typewriter and started doing something himself. He comes up after five minutes and asks to be even shorter. I do it, and our general manager accidentally hit me on the elbow. It was funny for me, but for Alexander it was far from funny. He was very angry that he had to cut his hair. But I have nothing to do with it. He had complaints against our general director.
– How do you rate your title prospects? Sasha is on a four-fight winning streak.– There is a chance. He has experience against Gun and Aspinall. If he draws the right conclusions, works on mistakes, realizes his moments, he will be able to take revenge and become a champion. It is difficult for me to predict what direction his title race will take. But Volkov is among the fighters who are contenders.
First, Drago will have to stun Aspinall:
He defeated the most dangerous striker in the UFC and is close to the title. Volkov is the best opponent for Jones
– Disqualification of Tsarukyan. Do you think that such actions should be punished?– It’s difficult to talk about it. To be honest, I didn’t go into it too much. I think security should react faster. And not when Armand hit him several times. But they’ve already given me a disqualification, nothing can be done. If they did this, it means they think they’re right, that’s all.
– Islam Makhachev is getting calls from Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler. But is there any point in staying in this division?– In general, he cleaned up the entire division. But if he feels comfortable, he can stay there for a long time. Maybe it was my imagination, but it’s a bit difficult for him to understand it already. Maybe it was due to an infection. I don’t know the details. But it’s clear that a strong cut has a very strong effect on the functional state at the time of the fight. I think he will feel more comfortable fighting in a higher weight category. In terms of competition with other guys, you have to be careful. And he will weigh more, and his rivals too. And I don’t know how this will affect. It remains only to wait.
Michael Chandler can “steal” the title:
Will Tsarukyan be left without a rematch with Makhachev? The fight with the champion was offered to another fighter.
– What do you think of weightlifting maestro Alex Pereira? Will he be able to seek a third championship belt?– He has individual body characteristics. If he exports, why not? But how will it work in practice? Pereira probably made most of his opponents as comfortable as possible. These are guys who do not wrestle, but only fight on their feet. And of course, the champion of one of the most elite kickboxing organizations has an advantage in this component. They tried to fight him. Kickboxer Adesanya himself tried to knock him down for two rounds. I can honestly say that his opponents were very convenient for him.
– Let’s touch on Russian affairs a bit. Your comrade Alexander Shlemenko is approaching the 100-win mark. How does it affect you to have such a fighter around you on your team? “He shows, both in word and deed, how to work. I take a lot from him. I am glad that he appeared in my life. I am proud to represent Storm School. I have a great responsibility towards him. He keeps fit, trains constantly and works even harder than before. And if you look at the level of opposition, it is high. Even higher than when he was young. He does not limit himself solely to sports activities. He gets involved in social activities and manages to train and train. He is a great guy. The only fighter like him in the world.
– Alexander has conflicts. One of the most striking is with Anatoly Sulyanov. Do you think he will continue to fight with Shlemenko?– Anatoly has a new nickname. This is exactly nonsense. He has already said nonsense before, not only with Alexander. And I think that he will not have any quarrel. He does not even have the opportunity to answer for his words. I am very interested to know when their meeting will take place. And sooner or later it will happen. And it is very interesting whether Anatoly will be able to maintain this arrogance and arrogance. It seems to me that he will stay with his tail between his legs, with trembling knees and tears in his eyes. Or hide behind someone. That’s all.
– What about the fight with Aslanbek Badaev?– These are all words. Compare him with other promoters, league heads. Alexander Shlemenko, Mairbek Khasiev, Kamil Gadzhiev, Aslanbek Badaev. It is clear that they are polite and serious. They all command respect. And let’s take Anatoly Sulyanov. I can’t think of anything but laughter. He doesn’t watch his words and talks nonsense. Nobody will take him seriously.
Alexander Shlemenko
Photo by: RCC MMA
– At what second will the knockout occur if they do see each other alive?“I think Anatoly will have a heart attack.”
